Crazy picture post

This past Friday we had plans to go to the beach with a friend. Both of us had stressful mornings right off the bat, and we were contemplating not going. Let me just say- when in doubt, always go to the beach. We’re definitely going every week until baby comes, then probably multiple times a week while Jeff’s off work. We all left there completely refreshed and relaxed. I knew then that if I had stayed home to get stuff done I wouldn’t have felt that good. And that’s kind of what it’s about these days. Plus, there’s so much to appreciate in little sandy toes and a happy little girl…

I think it did the trick to refresh me and gear me up for what ended up being a really good and productive weekend. It was the perfect balance of work and play- although this heat and humidity are wiping me out lately. I think I finally know why people look sympathetically at women who are pregnant through the summer. I’d likely be feeling hot regardless, but add in the little heater stuck to my belly and you can find me panting in a shady corner. Otherwise I feel really good, although this weekend did some funny things to me. I had several episodes of crampy your-body-is-getting-ready sessions, and my mind shifted from feeling like baby was a distant thing to realizing it’s time to get ready. It could still be weeks, but it reminded me of how I felt about 2 weeks before V was born. We were at a movie, and I couldn’t really concentrate because I was just feeling this dull crampiness. I remember feeling really motivated to prep everything after that, and then into our lives she came. Anyway, I’m glad to have the motivation and vision now, and we actually checked everything off our lists this weekend. Mulch- done. Trellises- done. Vera’s room- done. Birth supplies together- done. Progress!

Vera’s room was fine, but it had boxes of clothes in there that needed sorting and it didn’t have curtains or pictures up. So we just put some finishing touches on it. These are all the clothes and stuff I pulled out of there. Ah, purging.

What’s great is that once I get her stuff organized, she almost always immediately starts playing. I still have to fix her lampshade and put a tapestry her big wall. I’d actually love to make this kind of thing for her- to keep trinkets and notebooks and all sorts of not-so-safe-for-baby things up off the floor. My little niece Tuula could use one too, she’s always got little collections of tiny things stuffed in her pockets. Ideas…

For Christmas she got this great piece of art that says "Vera" out of letters found in nature. My cousin does this photography, and I think it’s great. It was nice to put it on the wall for her.

And a spot for reading. I plan to put more plants in her room- I think plants are important in a space. Plus, I’ll have her help me take care of them, so that’ll be fun. I may take her to a plant shop to pick out some of her own.

And a spot for her very special hats and bags.

And then I’ll stay on the lookout for more good art for her room, and a nice rug. But I don’t know. Something about this baby coming makes me want to carve out a good solid space for Vera. I’ve heard that the second time around the baby part is easy- it’s the toddler that’s a challenge.

I also took a minute to hang up some stuff in one of my little corners. There’s something about finishing this small stuff that makes me happy.

Then there’s this morning’s garden, all mulched and trellised and happy.

Oh yeah, and we also got this old picnic table from my childhood neighbor- it’s actually the picnic table I had when I was a kid. It’s a little old and rusty, but we’re going to paint it up and hope it lasts a couple more years. It’ll be great to have a bigger place to feed people, too!

Yup! And we got a TON of them. But it was worse than bowls of beer alone could handle. I put some di earth around the backs of my garden boxes over the weekend, where a lot of them seemed to be hanging around the bottom of the shed. Hopefully that will help. And since I never actually SAW the cutworms, I don’t know if they’re gone yet. I’m afraid to try to replant my new peas and beans. 😛

Yay for wonderful weekends, beautiful little girls, and lots of pictures! Your garden is amazing. Love, love, love this post.
I’ve been thinking about you and your new sprout a lot lately and sending you happy, peaceful thoughts. I hope they’re helping!

Thank you so much for the happy thoughts! I’m sure they are helping. I’m definitely coming out of that anxious place and into the open confident space… I’m really grateful for the shift. I’m sending you love right back!

I am so envious that you’re so far ahead of me and can get anything done! I just want to sit somewhere and do nothing all day, it’s so hot outside.
And I don’t have to tell you that I want to come and steal your house and garden. It’s so homey. 🙂

Thank you! I really only show you the good stuff, it comes in waves… some days I really just plop from place to place. Plus the rest of the house is a crazy mess! I’ll be sure to post more of the mess soon. 😉 Don’t be hard on yourself- pregnancy is hard work! Whenever you think that you aren’t getting enough done, just remember that you are growing a human- and that’s amazing. 🙂

what a wonderful post:) I *love* the hanging storage idea, I might have to try that soon. It looks so easy and useful!
The summer I was pregnant with E, every time we were going to go to the lake I felt like I was too hot to bother moving, but afterward, I was always so relaxed and calm…I love that beautiful feeling that you get from swimming.
Your garden! It slays me. The mulch looks awesome.
I can’t believe how fast things grow, my little garden has just been sprouting up in leaps and bounds, I love it:)

Isn’t that the best idea? I love soulemama. I actually have one of her books and the pattern for a variation of that pocket hanging thing is in it. I think it’ll be an easy project! I was actually thinking of making a grown-up version for our bedroom…

I read her blog sometimes, she always posts interesting and beautiful crafts etc.
I was thinking of an adult version myself, Eilidh isn’t quite to the stage where she needs something like that, though I’m sure it won’t be long.
I really want to post pictures, but my internet connection has been worse than usual lately for some reason. Hopefully soon!

I am glad you got to the beach – nothing restores me more than that 🙂 I love the little sandy toes! And I love that you plan to get some plants for her to tend… it’s so AWESOME that you are teaching her how to care for living creatures.

Yay beach! I thought I wasn’t really a beach person, but I found out that I’m just a sit-under-a-tree-with-my-floppy-hat-and-book-occasionally-going-for-the-water type of beach person. You just have to find your beachy niche, I guess. 🙂

I am the same because the sun is very difficult for me – I have fair skin and burn and get sun poisoning SO fast. I also get really light headed in the heat after just a little while.
So I rely on umbrellas and books at the beach 🙂 but just being near the water always centers my soul very much 🙂